Have a Healthy Baby

Medical research has shown that starting to address threats to a healthy pregnancyafter a woman has become pregnant is not sufficient to prevent poor birth outcomes. A fetus is the most vulnerable in the first few weeks after conception. Since many women do not know they are pregnant during this time, many are not seeking prenatal care or avoiding risky behavior. Improving a woman’s health before conception increases the chances of having a healthy pregnancy.

Being pregnant and giving birth to a child can be one of the best experiences of your life. Here are some tips on how you can help make sure it is.

Take Care of Yourself

Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains

Exercise

Have a routine physical and dental exam each year

Talk to your doctor about taking a daily prenatal vitamin or multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid

Eat calcium-rich (such as non-fat or low-fat yogurt, milk, and broccoli) and leaner foods (such as chicken and turkey without the skin, and fish) are strongly recommended

Drink at least six to eight glasses of water, fruit juice, or milk a day

Take care to try and avoid gaining excessive amounts of weight, with doctors recommending an average gain of 25 to 30 pounds for most women

Get seven to nine hours of sleep every night

Keep your immunizations current

Plan for pregnancy and practice safe sex

Wash your hands

Get help for depression or other mental health concerns

Learn how to lower stress

Don’t!

Smoke

Drink alcohol

Take illegal street or prescription drugs

Eat large amounts of fatty foods (such as butter and fatty meats) and sweets (such as soda, cookies, candy, potato chips, and donuts)

Know the Signs

Recognizing and appropriately responding to the signs and symptoms of pre-term labor is another crucial factor in having a successful pregnancy. Pre-term labor is when a woman goes into labor before the 37th week of pregnancy, or three weeks before her due date. The earlier pre-term labor is spotted and treated, the better the chance of stopping it.

If you or someone you know has experienced the loss of a baby, whether during pregnancy or after birth, please see this web page from First Candle/SIDS Alliance. It provides information on how to cope with grief, facts on SIDS, and other resources.

Information on the importance of prenatal care, what it consists of, and things you should do before getting pregnant. It also provides information on things you should do if you are already pregnant, addresses complications, and how to prepare for a baby.